Category Archives for Musings

I’ve been working on a committee that is revising our University syllabus template. It sounds benign and straightforward. Unless you have ever been on a committee of any kind, in which case it probably sounds about like the tempest in a teapot that it is. Seriously, though, it requires examining so many assumptions and beliefs […]

I’ve just returned from a conference on Meaningful Living and Learning in a Digital World in Savannah, GA. I sometimes struggle with how/what to report after a conference. There is a temptation to write down everything, and then it gets overwhelming. Here I’ve decided to summarize just a few nuggets from the conference. Enjoy. (Bevin […]

I haven’t blogged for a while. There are quite a few posts brewing – have been for months – and I haven’t been able to pull it together given how awful things have been in the world lately. I just don’t have the will or extra energy to take on non-essential tasks. Just like this puppy, […]

My friend and colleague Tricia was violently murdered on Christmas day. I was having dinner with a house full of relatives, kids running amok, laughter, presents, wine. She was being abducted, raped, and strangled after what was apparently a fluke encounter with a deranged person recently released from prison. There was a police bulletin before they […]

A while back I wrote about my top 10 favorite podcasts. I’d like to add two new podcasts to the list. Period PodcastFirst, please check out the new Period podcast by “ladybits scientist” Kate Clancy. It’s described as “a podcast where we explore anything and everything to do with the menstrual cycle, most especially the bloody […]

Since having kids, my free time has been somewhat limited. I used to read so much more. I took classes about this and that, just for fun. (Birds of the Eastern Shore with the Audobon Society, anyone? Voluntary Simplicity reading group?) I know that a time will come when I can do these things again. For now, […]

So this phrase “subject matter expert”… it’s bubbled up in the periphery a few times since I’ve been more involved in online teaching. I don’t remember when I first heard it, and I also don’t know its full history. As best I can tell, it seems to be used in some online education communities […]

Never Say Never I’m almost certain my jaw hit the floor when I heard one of my teachers* say that he was getting rid of all of his notes from school. It shocked me so much that I remember the moment perfectly, even though it was more than 10 years ago. I thought he was […]

​How to write 700 words in only two short daysStep 1 (2+ months before deadline): Get organized. Print and sort all papers I’ll need for phase I of this project. No further action until deadline is imminent.Step 2 (3 days before deadline): Wow. I haven’t organized my file cabinet in a while. Step 3: Read […]

Picture this. You get an email asking for help. Let’s say it’s all about how to best teach a particular class that you’ve been teaching for years.You’re happy to help. You love helping. You love teaching this class. You type out a long, multi-paragraph response to each of the many questions posed in the initial […]